20 



Iiiilian Mnseuin Notes. 



L Vol III. 



In a siimple of wlieat [TrHicum S'ltionm) from Orissa, which was kept 

 Troo-ositid beetle in Indian under observation in the Indian Museum 

 wieat. during- the autumn of 1890, were found nu- 



merous small brown beetles (Trogos^itidse), which seemed to be associated 

 with the wheat weevil in destroying- the grain. Specimens were sent to 

 Mons. Fairmsure, who kindly examined them and reported that they 

 belong-id to the species Trogohita 7nauritauic<i 

 Linn. Mons. Fairmaire adds that this insect 

 has long- been known on account of the damag-e 

 done by its larvae in wheat granaries. The 

 imago is thought to be carnivorous iu its habits^ 

 and feeds on the small Tinied moths which 

 are to be found in granaries. The insect is a 

 cosmopolitan one, having no doubt been dis- 

 tributed over the world with grain. The figure 

 shows the imago with much enlarged diagrams 

 of antenna and hind leg. The natural size of 

 Ihe insect is indicated by the hair line. 



The gaudily coloured caterpillar wi.ich have been noticed as defoliat- 

 ing garden plants in Calcutta and Dehra, has 



Crocus caterpillar. 4-1 i „ ^ • ^\ w 3 



^ recently been reared in the Museum and 



found to belong to the Noctues moth FolyUla gloiima Fabr. When full 

 fed the caterpilhirs tunnelled into the ground, where they formed for 

 themselves typical Noctues cells of hardened earth. The first pu[)se were 

 formed on 19th July, and the moths began to emerge on the Jith August. 

 The caterpillar mav be observed at work tlircughout the rainy season in 

 Calcutta gardens where it does a good deal of damage to ornamental 

 plants, and as the time spent by the chrysalis in the ground is short, it 

 is probable that the insect passes through a number of generations in the 

 year. 



Some hairy caterpillars of a Lasiocampid moth, not {ireviously re- 

 Lasiocampid caterpillars in pi-esented ia the Indian Museum collection, 

 ^"''"^^- were received in November 1891 through 



Mr. De-Niceville from Rangoon, with the information that the insect 

 iiad been very destructive. A letter, dated 5th December 1891, upon the 

 subject, was subsequently forwarded from Mr. Noble of the Phayre 

 Museum. In this letter the following report from the Nortliern Divi- 

 sion, Shwebo, Burma, was quoted, but the date of the appearance of 

 the insect was not mentioned : — 



J-ue rain still holds off, and the winds are exceedingly high, nnprecedentedly so. 

 ihe people »aj— fioiu these hiyh winds hlowing the people anticipate a lieavy monsooii 



